A glimpse into life with my OtterTail Labrador Retrievers. What makes them special through fun times and sad, and how they inspire my OtterTail Lab Art. Labrador Retriever paintings and artwork for dog lovers.

Monday, February 09, 2015

Tree Hugger Painting

I admit I have (at least) a couple of self-imposed hang-ups when it comes to painting. One is that I find a white canvas uninspiring and the second is that I hate to waste paint. So after I complete a painting project I satisfy both problems by using left over paint to awaken a blank white canvas that will be used for a future project. I may do this once or multiple times before a canvas is chosen for its "real" job.

This painting called "Tree Hugger" was born through my waste-not process. The background colors were layered smears of leftover paint from several other projects. I also used it to test colors as I worked on another canvas. It lay on the side table waiting to collect more dregs when I happened to have some extra brown mixed at the end of a dog portrait.

Inspired by the wild array of colors I used the brown to paint one of my regular activities - tree hugging. I have been practicing animal communication for over a year now and discovered that it is also fun and easy to talk to the trees. Turns out they are very wise. I chose one tree I pass on my daily walks with my dogs to be my regular counselor. It's a young ash tree - no different than the hundreds of others on our property. It isn't as big as the tree in this painting, but I hug it anyway. Trees have great energy. I read this article the other day that confirms what I already felt - Trees Can Heal You. If you haven't hugged a tree lately (or ever), I highly recommend it.

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse at my painting process. I kind of like this little ditty. It will likely inspire a future rendition and that is always fun. Not a bad way to use left over paint and a blank white canvas.

Post Subjects

About Me

My dogs are my passion and inspire me to create art. My OtterTail Lab Art business was founded in 1988. It has grown and changed in diverse ways over the years and continues to be a wonderful journey. I look forward to more good times painting and sharing the Labrador Retriever spirit while enjoying my happy Labs and helping others in need. I also offer private dog training for a select few and share tips here to help everyone.

All images and content are copyright protected by Amy Reges. All rights reserved. You may not use or reproduce any image or text found on this blog for any purpose without written permission. Copyright 2006-2015.